Volume Two – The General’s Tomb Chapter Twenty-Eight – The Wolf Pack’s Sudden Assault

“Let me finish,” I said, and Li Kun nodded. He grabbed the gun slung across his chest, pressed the flashlight against it, and said, “Alright, Old Liu, be careful. Don’t let the wolves sneak up on you.”

I nodded. “You keep an eye on the left, I’ll watch the right. Stay alert.” With that, we began to make our way slowly down the mountain.

We walked for an indeterminate amount of time before finally reaching the foot of the mountain. After a brief rest, Li Kun asked, “Old Liu, where exactly is the tomb?”

I recalled the layout I’d seen during the day and replied, “We just head straight forward. The tomb should be on the slope on the other side.”

Li Kun said, “From here on, we’re in the wolves’ territory. Be ready to risk your life. Their eyes are sharp at night. Who knows when they’ll spot us.”

I answered, “Right, from now on, keep your weapon ready. If the wolves come at us, let’s give them a taste of our bullets and show them we’re not easy prey.”

Li Kun chuckled. “Don’t worry. With our marksmanship, even if seven or eight wolves charge at us together, we can take them all down.”

I nodded. “Let’s hurry. If we avoid being detected by the wolves, all the better.”

Li Kun said, “Hey, Old Liu, do we have to dig a tunnel this time?”

I shook my head. “Not this time. We’ll look for the tunnel those who came before us dug. If we find it, we can relax a bit. Any traps below should have been triggered by the previous visitors, so we shouldn’t have any problems.”

Li Kun nodded. “Yeah, why didn’t I think of that? We’ll split up and search for the old tunnel. That’ll save us time and energy.”

I nodded again. Li Kun and I raised our flashlights to scan the area. Seeing nothing amiss, we relaxed. “Let’s go, make the most of our time.”

We walked for about half an hour through the mountain forest, finally arriving at the summit. When we looked down from the top, both of us were surprised.

This side of the mountain was markedly different from the path we’d just traversed. The area was larger, with plenty of trees, but the rocks here were numerous.

Seeing this, I said to Li Kun, “Old Li, stand guard.”

Li Kun nodded. I reached into my chest, took out the Dragon-Seeking Compass, and carefully positioned it. Then, I recited the incantation for seeking the dragon: “Seeking the tomb, dividing yin and yang; two forms, four symbols decide the mountains; five elements and six harmonies gather in hand; nine palaces and eight trigrams determine the world. Unite!” Finishing, I tapped the center of the compass and shone my flashlight onto it.

The needle quivered briefly, then pointed to my left.

I shifted slightly and said, “Old Li, follow me.” With that, I began to descend the slope.

After about ten minutes, the compass needle stopped moving entirely. I looked up, surveying the surroundings.

We were now on a fairly large, relatively flat patch of ground, with few rocks and not many trees.

I said to Li Kun, “Old Li, we’re standing directly above the tomb now. The tomb lies beneath our feet.”

Li Kun turned to me. “What are we waiting for, then? Let’s look for the tunnel. You go left, I’ll go right. We’ll cover more ground that way.”

I replied, “Alright, be careful. If you notice anything off, don’t shout—don’t attract the wolves. Just run over to me if you find something.”

Li Kun nodded. “Got it. You do the same. If anything’s wrong, shoot first, and I’ll come running.”

We split up to search the area, though we didn’t stray far from each other. A quick glance back would reveal Li Kun’s flashlight beam.

Finding the tunnel wasn’t easy. So many years had passed, and even if it existed, locating it was difficult in the forest. Each autumn, falling leaves could easily cover the entrance, which was only so wide.

I scoured the area but saw no sign of a tunnel. Just as I was about to ask Li Kun, a gunshot rang out behind me.

Then came Li Kun’s shout from nearby: “Old Liu, damn it, get over here and help me! The wolves found me!” More gunshots followed.

As soon as I heard Li Kun’s shout and the gunfire, I raised my gun and rushed over, yelling, “Old Li, hold on—I’m coming!”

I kept my gun ready, wary of wolves attacking from the shadows. The gunfire from Li Kun’s direction didn’t let up.

When I caught sight of Li Kun’s flashlight, relief washed over me—he was unharmed. At that moment, the wolves’ snarling echoed relentlessly.

I aimed my flashlight ahead. Li Kun stood beneath a massive stone, surrounded by pairs of glowing green eyes. Black shapes ringed him, watching intently—ready to pounce if he made the slightest move.

Just then, a huge wolf climbed atop the stone above Li Kun’s head.

I cursed inwardly: “Damn, that must be the leader. Clever beast—using the pack to distract Li Kun while it launches a sneak attack from above. If it strikes, Li Kun won’t have time to react—his life would be forfeit.”

I took a deep breath, raised my gun, and aimed at the giant wolf on the stone, pulling the bolt and firing.

My aim was always true, whether the target moved or stood still. Yet this time, the outcome surprised me.

The moment I fired, one of the wolves near Li Kun sensed my presence and barked. The giant wolf atop the stone turned its head sharply towards me. Seeing me target it, it dashed downward, and my shot missed completely.

I cursed again, then wasted no more time. I fired at the pack.

Muzzle flash burst forth, bullets struck the wolves, and cries of pain echoed.

I kept firing as I moved quickly towards Li Kun, who now unleashed a furious barrage at the wolves.

After our volley, the pack scattered, leaving seven or eight dead wolves lying still on the ground.

Back-to-back, I asked, “Old Li, are you hurt?”

Li Kun replied, “Damn, I saw a tunnel entrance just now. Was about to check it out when a wolf lunged at me. Lucky Li here was quick, or my face would be shredded.”

I said, “Good, good—so long as you’re alright. If we got injured before even entering the tomb, that’d be a real loss.”

I paused, then asked, “Wait, did you say you saw a tunnel?”

Li Kun nodded. “Yeah, over there.” He pointed to my right.

I followed his gesture. Sure enough, beside the massive stone was a round opening about a meter wide.

My heart leapt. “Old Li, this is likely the tunnel. Stand guard in case the wolves return. I’ll check it out. And keep an eye on the stone—if I hadn’t fired earlier, you’d be dead now.”

Li Kun stepped back, raised his gun towards the stone, and, remembering my warning, cold sweat broke out on his brow.

He said, “Leave it to me. You do your thing—I’ve got this covered.”

I nodded, took off my pack, and pulled the entrenching tool from Li Kun’s bag. Then I approached the tunnel.

At the entrance, I examined it carefully with my flashlight. It was surely the work of a skilled earthworker—a clean, sloping shaft descending into darkness, with no loose earth, just wide enough for someone to crawl through.

Inside were scattered leaves and thick webs.

I used the tool to clear the webs, then peeked inside, shining the flashlight downward.

The tunnel below was pitch black; there was no telling how deep it went. I’d have to go down myself to find out. But without a rope, it would be impossible—descending was easy, but climbing back up would be like scaling the heavens.